![John Smoltz [Row 1] #109 (Baseball Cards 1999 Flair Showcase) — is it worth grading?](https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/K8QAAOSwW05l5Ghb/s-l1600.jpg)
Is John Smoltz [Row 1] #109 worth grading?
Baseball · Baseball Cards 1999 Flair Showcase · full price guide →
Strong grading candidate — 36× premium in PSA 10
A PSA 10 John Smoltz [Row 1] #109 sells for $71.67 against $1.99 raw: a $69.68 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.51) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
- Raw (NM)
- $1.99
- PSA 10
- $71.67
- PSA 9
- $17.51
- Gem premium
- 36×
- As of
- Jul 11, 2026
Break-even by outcome and fee
| If it comes back… | Sells for | Economy / bulk (~$25.00) | Standard (~$50.00) | Express (~$150) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gem — PSA 10 | $71.67 | +$44.68 | +$19.68 | −$80.32 |
| PSA 9 | $17.51 | −$9.48 | −$34.48 | −$134 |
| PSA 8 | $8.81 | −$18.18 | −$43.18 | −$143 |
Net = sale price − $1.99 raw value − fee. Fee tiers are illustrative; plug your grader's current price into the calculator below.
Expected value — how often does it need to gem?
| Chance it gems | Expected sale | Expected net (standard fee) |
|---|---|---|
| 25% | $31.05 | −$20.94 |
| 50% | $44.59 | −$7.40 |
| 75% | $58.13 | +$6.14 |
Break-even gem rate at the standard fee: about 64%. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses — measure it before you decide.
Which grader pays the most — and what a 10 takes
All centering standards →| Grader | 10 sells for | vs best | Front centering for a 10 | Back |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BGS 10 | $93.00 | best | 55/45 | 70/30 |
| PSA 10 | $71.67 | −$21.33 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| CGC 10 | $43.00 | −$50.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
| SGC 10 | $43.00 | −$50.00 | 55/45 | 75/25 |
Tolerances are each company's published centering standard for its top grade; surface, corners and edges must also be clean. Centering is the one you can measure yourself before you pay.
Full grade ladder
Raw conditions & history →| Grade | PSA | CGC | BGS | SGC | Graded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | $71.67 | $43.00 | $93.00 | $43.00 | — |
| 9.5 | — | — | — | — | $31.61 |
| 9 | — | — | — | — | $17.51 |
| 8 | — | — | — | — | $8.81 |
Run your own numbers
Should I pay this?
Enter the seller’s asking price to see your net outcome per grade.
Grading John Smoltz [Row 1] #109 — FAQ
Is John Smoltz [Row 1] #109 worth grading?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz [Row 1] #109 sells for $71.67 against $1.99 raw: a $69.68 spread, 36× the ungraded price. A PSA 9 ($17.51) only about breaks even after fees, so the case rests on gemming. Centering is the usual reason a clean copy misses the 10 — measure it before you submit.
How much is a PSA 10 John Smoltz [Row 1] #109 worth compared with raw?
A PSA 10 John Smoltz [Row 1] #109 (Baseball Cards 1999 Flair Showcase) sells for about $71.67 versus $1.99 for a raw near-mint copy — a 36× premium as of Jul 11, 2026.
Which grading company is best for John Smoltz [Row 1] #109?
By resale value, BGS 10 leads at $93.00, ahead of PSA 10 at $71.67. Fees and turnaround differ, so the best-paying label is not always the best net.
What centering does John Smoltz [Row 1] #109 need for a BGS 10?
BGS publishes 55/45 front and 70/30 back centering as the tolerance for a 10 (Gem Mint). Off-center copies are capped below the top grade regardless of surface — measure yours before paying the fee.
What gem rate makes grading John Smoltz [Row 1] #109 break even?
At a standard ~$50 fee, submitting John Smoltz [Row 1] #109 breaks even when it gems about 64% of the time (a miss assumed to sell at the PSA 9 price of $17.51).
Is your baseball card centered well enough to grade?
Centering makes or breaks a PSA 10. Scan any card with Midpoint to measure its exact centering, get a grade estimate, and see what your copy is actually worth.
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